


Frati’k (”Family”)

by fischotterschreiberei



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, utter self-indulgence of my own oc being these kids' space stepmom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-03-29 16:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19023652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fischotterschreiberei/pseuds/fischotterschreiberei
Summary: While the Paladins look out for the universe, their new ally is determined to look out for them.





	1. An Unwavering Flame

**Author's Note:**

> meant to take place shortly after the beginning of S2, not long after Krie joined Team Voltron. this is to date the longest fic i have written since i was a kid with way too much time on my hands - yay me(?) lol  
> to avoid repetition, an illustration of Krie and a brief summary of their personal history can be found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19032493

     Sweat beaded on Keith’s forehead as he faced his robotic sparring partner for a fifth consecutive round. He shook his shoulders to loosen them and raised his shield. “Begin.”

     His opponent circled, staff at the ready, seeking an opening. Keith moved with it, focusing on his footwork. When the droid struck, he was prepared. Blow after blow he detected and deflected with relative ease. Still, his brows began to knit with frustration. Each blow was pushing him back, ever so slightly. Again and again he changed his stance, but each time his feet would not stay put. Finally, he knocked the robot aside with a growl of frustration. “End sequence!” he barked.

     The droid powered down, and Keith deactivated his shield and stomped over to the corner where he had left his water pouch. He squirted some water directly onto his face to wash away the sweat and shook his head rapidly to shake droplets from his bangs. Then he slurped the remainder huffily. Crumpling the empty pouch, he tossed it aside and stalked back towards the center of the room, where he reactivated his shield. Before he could begin the sequence, however, he heard someone call his name. “Keeeeeeeiiiiiiiiittttthhhhhhh!!!!!”

    He looked up to the windows overlooking the room and saw Krie waving cheerfully at him. “Hi Keith! Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering, uh, if it’s alright with you, if I sketch you sparring?”

    “I don’t care but you can’t come in here,“ Keith hollered back. “I don’t want to have to worry about hitting you. And you have to be quiet so I can concentrate.”

    “Understood! Thank you!“ Krie beamed.

    Keith raised his shield, took a deep breath, and refocused on the self-imposed task at hand. Krie was so silent during his next few bouts that he forgot they were there until he paused for a breather and heard them ask, “Do you want me to bring you some water?”

    "Sure, thanks,“ he replied.

    A few seconds later there was a tap at the door. “It’s open,” Keith said with just a hint of impatience.

    The doors slid open and Krie entered with their sketchbook tucked under their arm and handed him a new water pouch. “Thanks,” he muttered.

    "No problem,“ they said quietly, fidgeting with one of their necklaces.

    After a moment they said, “Uhm. You seem a bit…stressed. Am I bothering you? Do you want me to leave?”

    Keith sighed heavily. “No, it’s not you, I just- I’m just frustrated.”

    Krie inclined their head. “About what, if you don’t mind my asking?”

    For a second he clenched his jaw and considered saying that yes, he did mind, but when he looked at them he saw only genuine concern in their expression. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I’m trying to work on getting my stance to be more solid but something is off and I can’t figure it out.”

    "Ohh,“ they said, in a tone that said they understood completely.

    They were quiet for a few tics, then they began fidgeting with their necklace again. “Uhm. I’m no combat expert - I would never claim to be. But I did notice something while I was sketching you.” Before he could reply they blurted, “But like I said I don’t know anything about combat I just thought maybe it would be helpful to hear it from a secondary perspective.”

    Keith doubted they could have come up with anything useful to him, but they seemed so genuine that he decided to humor them to spare their feelings. “Maybe, yeah. Let me see your drawings.”

    Krie opened their sketchbook and flipped rapidly through several pages of work to come to a series loose gestures still clearly readable as himself in various stances and stages of action. They produced a red pencil from their pocket and added a line from the top of the head down the figure in the upper right corner of the page. “This is you, and this line represents your center of gravity,” they explained.

    "Okay,“ said Keith patiently.

    "So, do you see, that it’s kind of off-center? It goes straight down to the floor but it’s not aligned with the rest of your body, you know?”

    Keith understood. “My weight isn’t centered,” he said slowly.

    He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “You’re right. It’s so obvious. This is basic stuff.” He crunched the empty water pouch in his hand and threw it against the nearest wall. “Ugh! How did I not think of that?!”

    "You’re  _tired,_ love _,_ “ Krie said with a sympathetic frown.

    They rested a webbed hand very gently on his shoulder. "Coran said you’ve been in here for hours. Very few species are equipped to handle strenuous physical exertion for such long periods of time, and last I checked humans weren’t on that list,” they said quietly. “I know you want to be better than your best, but you physically  _cannot_ be if you don’t take care of yourself. That means resting, too.”

    Keith stared at the floor. “Resting feels like a waste of time.”

    "I understand,“ said Krie. "But it is necessary.”

    Their expression brightened suddenly. “Oh! I have an idea! What if we went to the castle library and found you a book on Altean combat techniques? You could read it while you’re resting, so you’d still be productive!”

    Keith couldn’t help but smile a little in response. “Alright, alright. Let me take a quick shower and I’ll meet you in the library in a little bit, okay?”

    "You got it!“ they beamed. "I’ll see you there!”

    They waved and headed for the door. After a brief hesitation, Keith called after them, “Hey, uh, Krie?”

    The floor squeaked under their webbed feet as they spun around. “Yes, Keith?”

    "Thanks,“ he said with a little smile.

    Krie smiled warmly back. "No problem. Any time.”

    They made a shooing motion with both hands. “Hurry and go shower! I wanna show you some interesting-looking books I found the other day!”

    As he turned to head for the opposite door, Keith found himself smiling again. Apparently Krie had that effect on people.

    He was not entirely opposed to it.


	2. Steady Hands, Steady Heart

    “Oh. My gosh. What are you eating?”

    Krie looked up to see Hunk staring at their food with an intrigued expression. “It’s kind of a…sea bread, I guess you could call it. It’s made out of plants that grow on the seafloor. It’s…kind of the only thing I know how to bake.”

    “It looks like a green bagel,“ Hunk chortled. “Can I try it?”

    "Sure,“ said Krie, breaking off a piece and handing it to him.

    "Thanks,” he said with a grin.

    Immediately he took a huge bite, and his face contorted with revulsion. “Ughhh, it tastes like salty spinach tortilla with chunks of lime in it.”

    Krie giggled. “I have no idea what that is, but to be honest I never liked it either. We undines mostly eat it to balance out our diets. Other than this, we mostly just eat fish.”

    Hunk’s eyes lit up. “So you guys have, like, alien sushi?”

    They tilted their head. “What’s sushi?”

    Pantomiming the actions involved, Hunk explained, “It’s like when you have the fish with veggies and stuff and you roll it up in rice and wrap the whole thing with seaweed.”

    “Oh!” Krie exclaimed. “Yes, we have  _many_ different kinds of that!”

    Their shoulders slumped sadly. “But I don’t know how to make it, so since I got here I’ve mostly just been eating plain raw fish.”

    “What?” Hunk cried in mock horror. “No. Just, no. I can  _not_ just sit here and let my friend eat plain, boring food.”

    Gloved hands grasped webbed ones as he pulled them to their feet. “Come on, we’re gonna go to the kitchen and make you some sushi right now.”

    “You know how to make it?!” Krie gasped excitedly.

    “Uhm,  _yeah_ ,” said Hunk. “Sushi is only, like, one of my favorite foods. I can teach you how to make it, too. Come on!”

    A few minutes later they had relocated to the kitchen, and Hunk had assembled the ingredients they needed as well as a pair of aprons, and had creatively fashioned a makeshift sushi chef’s hat for himself out of a sturdy piece of paper (donated to the cause by Krie). “When we Paladins first got here, there wasn’t a whole lot goin’ on in the kitchen,” Hunk said. “But once we started forming alliances, pretty much every planet we stopped at gave us a whole bunch of food and supplies.” He produced a pair of sushi knives with a flourish.

    “Oooooh.” Krie clapped appreciatively.

    Hunk executed a half-bow and set the knives aside. “Thank you, thank you, please, hold your applause until the end of the performance. Now -! To begin. We gotta start with the rice. Pass me that bowl there. Thank you.”

    He set up the rice cooker and mixed sauce in a separate, smaller bowl, muttering names of ingredients half to himself as he worked. “Sake-mash vinegar, rice vinegar, sugar aaaaaaand salt…”

    Once finished, he paused a moment. “Aaaaand, good. Ok, while that cooks, we prepare the fish.”

    Krie slid the large cutting board covered in various cuts of seafood towards him. “Thank you,” he said, taking up the sushi knives as well as a more theatrical tone of voice. “Stand back, Krie, and watch closely.”

    Hands clasped in fascination, they watched as his movements became a blur. Like magic, sides of fish were transformed into perfectly even slices and flawlessly stacked cubes. A cucumber-like vegetable went under the blade as well and came out in lovely thin strips. Finally, he flipped an avacado-like fruit into the air, sliced it in half before it landed, and removed the pit with an expert flick of his wrist. At that moment, the rice cooker let out a  _ding!_ “Awesome,” said Hunk. “Perfect timing.”

    Krie practically bounced up and down. “I’ll say! That was amazing! Can I clap yet?!”

    “Not yet, I need you to stir the rice,” he chortled. “Here, pour it into this bowl and introduce the sauce.”

      In no time the two had successfully finished several different rolls of sushi. As they paused a moment to admire their work, Krie clasped their hands again. “They’re so pretty! You’re a true artist, Hunk!”    

      Hunk bashfully rubbed at the back of his neck. “Aw, I wouldn’t say that. I just like cooking.”

      They gave his arm a friendly little punch. “Give yourself some credit. Cooking really  _is_ an art - the colors, textures, presentation. And you have to study and practice it in order to be as good as you are.”

    Hunk shrugged. “I like cooking. It relaxes me. And I guess I’ve been pretty stressed lately, so I’ve got a lot of practice in.”

      He forced a little laugh that trailed off awkwardly. Before his friend could respond, he added, “Anyway, it makes me really happy to watch people enjoy the food I made.”

      Krie squeezed his arm affectionately. “See? That’s the mark of a  _great_ artist - when they put their heart into their work like you have.”

      Their friend scooped them up into a big hug. “Awww, thanks Krie!”

      When they both stepped back to admire their handiwork once more, Hunk frowned thoughtfully. “We should probably share these with the rest of the team.”

      He gave Krie a sideways glance. “Maybe we should sample them first though. To make sure they taste okay.”

      Krie beamed. “An excellent idea, chef Hunk. Would you care to do the honors?”

      “Indeed,” he said in an overly theatrical voice, and the two friends dissolved into laughter.


	3. Shining Star of Brightest Steel

    The castle library was an impressive room, lined two stories floor to ceiling with digital storage devices and rare precious tangible materials as well. Some may have found it daunting, but to Pidge it was a treasure trove. The history and knowledge of an entirely alien culture - along with bits and pieces of information on countless others - were at her fingertips. The only downside, in her view, was that she rarely had time to read of late. On this rare occasion when she found herself with a few hours to spare, she had immediately headed to the library and began gathering as many files and books as she could carry. Unable to see over the stack in her arms, she turned a corner and very nearly ran smack into Krie. Both human and undine gave a yelp of alarm before falling into a series of apologies. “Jeez! Oh man I’m sorry, Krie.”

      “Oh no it’s ok! That was my bad, I’m sorry, are you ok?” Krie paused to take a breath and added, “Can I help you carry some of those?”

      “Oh, yeah, sure, thanks!” Pidge gratefully allowed Krie to relieve her of half the stack. “So, what are you doing here?”

      “Researching Altean zoology,” Krie replied.  I just found a bunch of old Altean documentaries and I was about to go watch some of them. They’re mostly nature programs, but there’s a few on space and intergalactic travel as well. I know you have a lot to do already, but maybe when you’re done, would you like to join me?”

      “Sure!” Pidge responded. “I mean, this stuff can wait, honestly. Let me just drop this stuff off to my room and I can join you right away!”

      “I can help you carry it, if you want,” Krie offered. “That way we can get started sooner!”

    The biggest screens in the Castle were in the media center, along with several minimalist metal chairs. Pidge looked around the room. “All the chairs in here are super uncomfortable.”

      “Oh!” Krie exclaimed. “I have an idea. Let’s split up, grab as many pillows and blankets as we can find, and rendezvous here.”

      Pidge grinned from ear to ear. “Good idea! I’ll see if I can dig up some snacks while I’m at it.”

      In no time the two had accumulated a massive pile of pillows and blankets, along with a tray of cookies and a mysterious crunchy food that looked and smelled like potato crisps might if they were made from tomatoes. Pidge flopped into the middle of the pile and splayed her limbs out like she was making a snow angel. Krie, however, began dragging one of the metal chairs over. “What are you doing?” Pidge asked. “We gathered up all these blankets and you’re just gonna use a chair?”

      “No-ooo.” It was Krie’s turn to grin. “I’m gonna make a fort. Want to help?”

      Pidge leaped up. “Yeah!!!”

      Together they built an extremely satisfactory blanket fort lined with pillows in a bowl shape for maximum coziness. “This. Was a great idea,” Pidge said as the first documentary began and the two friends nestled into their fort.

      “I’ve been known to come up with a gem every once in a while,” Krie replied with a toothy smile, reaching for a cookie.

      It was comfortingly warm inside the fort, and dark except for the faint glow from Krie’s freckles and the screen in front of them. How familiar this was, Pidge found herself musing, and at the same time how strange. It reminded her of late nights curled up in front of the tv with her brother and their dog, falling asleep listening to the pleasant voice of the narrator. This was similar enough, but when she scooted closer to Krie as she would have her brother, her hand brushed smooth, snakelike skin, and she instinctively recoiled. The action did not go unnoticed. “Sorry,” Krie mumbled, and scooted a few inches away.

      “No, that was on me,” Pidge replied quickly. “I…forgot where I was for a second.”

      Krie inclined their head. “Are you alright?”

      “Yeah, yeah. I just…I was thinking about my brother.” The paladin’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly.

      Krie paused the documentary and sat up to give Pidge their full attention. “I miss him a lot,” the paladin confessed in a small voice.  

      “I know you do,” Krie murmured, placing a comforting hand on their friend’s shoulder. “I’m sure he misses you, too. He’s lucky, you know. I mean, I’m sure it hasn’t been easy, but he knows you. And I bet you anything he knows you’re looking for him.”

      Pidge looked up at the undine. “You think so?”

      “I do,” Krie said firmly.

      The Paladin stared at the ground for a moment. “Shiro said something like that, too.”

        She turned to Krie and looped her arms around the undine’s neck, tucking her head under Krie’s chin. Her friend squeezed her tightly but gently. “Hey,” Krie said soothingly. “It’s gonna be okay. You’re gonna find Matt, and in the meantime, you’ve got the paladins, and, for what it’s worth, you’ve got me.”

      Pidge sniffled. “Thanks Krie.”

      The undine planted a kiss atop Pidge’s head and hugged her a moment longer before the paladin relaxed and returned to her own spot in the pillow nest. “Do you want to quit for now?” Krie asked, gesturing towards the screen.

      “No,” said Pidge, snuggling back down among the pillows and wrapping herself up in a blanket. “This is nice.”

      She waited until Krie also lay back down to wiggle closer until their shoulders were touching. “Can you pass me the cookies? I want to eat as many as I can before Lance shows up.”

      “Why would Lance show up? He thinks documentaries are boring.”

      Pidge smirked mischievously and adjusted her glasses. “Cause half of these pillows are his, and he’s gonna come looking for them any minute now. I’m gonna use the cookies as a bribe to get him to let us keep them.”

      Krie giggled. “You’re a tactical genius!”

      “I know,” Pidge replied. “Now pass the cookies. I’m serious.”


	4. Kindred from Another Sea

      After many attempts to figure it out on his own, Lance finally swallowed his pride and asked Allura how to go about using the mysterious Altean swimming pool in the Castle’s lower level. It was worth it, he decided as he lowered himself into the water. It wasn’t the ocean, but the temperature was pleasantly cool and the feeling of weightlessness was soothing and familiar. He swam a few laps around the pool before stopping to float on his back, closing his eyes enjoying the sensation. Just what the doctor ordered.

      Gradually he became aware of an odd ticking sensation at his back - a little stream of bubbles. He had just enough time to make a small sound of confusion before something broke the surface of the water directly alongside him. He flailed, startled, for a second before recognizing Krie’s playful giggle. “Krie! You scared the heck outta me!” he yelled, though he couldn’t hide a grin.

     He splashed them in retribution, and they laughed and splashed him back. “Sorry, didn’t mean to!”

      “Wait a sec. How did you figure out how to get in here?” Lance demanded.

      Krie’s smile fell. “Did you not know? I’m sorry! I could have told you. I come here all the time.”

      Lance treaded water. “It’s ok, don’t worry about it.” He frowned sympathetically. “You must really miss the ocean, huh?”

      The undine smiled again, sadly this time. “Yeah. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to be here, and I’m so grateful…”

      “…but it’s not home,” Lance finished.

      Krie inclined their head and stared at him with big, dark eyes. “You miss your home too, don’t you?” they asked.

      “Yeah,” Lance sighed. “I come from the ocean, too, you know? Well, I lived by it, not in it.”

      “You mentioned that when you came to Paracel,” they said. “Is your home very similar to mine?”

      Lance floated on his back, staring up at the ceiling (which was technically the floor). “Kinda. The water is the same color, but the beaches are white instead of purple. And the sky is a different color of blue…more like…I dunno, brighter?”

      Krie floated next to him. “I understand. What else can you tell me?”

      His brow crinkled in effort as he perused his memories for things in which a biologist would be interested. “Well, we have these plants called palm trees that get really tall and grow fruit called coconuts. They’re rock hard on the outside but you can bore a hole in it and drink the insides. It’s pretty tasty.”

      “Fascinating!” Krie exclaimed. “What else?”

      A smile spread across Lance’s face. “Well,” he began. “Have you ever heard of something called a pelican?”

-

    A few weeks later Lance walked into his quarters after dinner and immediately stopped in his tracks at the door. There was a new window in his room - not of Altean design, but a sturdy square frame and curtain like the ones back on Earth. It was set into the wall beside his bed. Completely overtaken by curiosity, the Paladin climbed onto his bed, pushed back the curtains…and gazed out over a sandy beach, not unlike the view from his own home. Turquoise waves lapped against the pale shore dotted with seashells. Palm trees waved gently in the breeze. A few wispy white clouds meandered leisurely across the brilliant blue sky. It took a moment for Lance to realize that something was off - the colors were almost too vibrant, too perfect, almost ethereal, and the motion of the palm fronds seemed to be too repetitive to be natural. He realized that he was looking at some sort of projection just seconds before a quiet voice interrupted his reverie.

      “Do you like it?”

      Lance turned to see Krie standing in his doorway, smiling nervously and fidgeting with their necklace. Before he could reply, their smile fell and their brows turned up sharply in concern, their hand flying up to cover their mouth. “Oh! Oh gods! I’m sorry!”

      It was only then that the Paladin felt a warm dampness on his cheeks. Krie crossed the room in a few quick strides and gently began wiping away the tears as they apologized frantically. “I’m so sorry, love. I thought it would be nice if you could- if I could help- I didn’t think this would- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry…”

      Lance shook his head, scrubbing his eyes on the back of his sleeve. “Who, me? Crying? No, I just got something in my eye.”

      He gestured enthusiastically towards the window. “You did this?”

      “Yes.” Krie wrung their hands. “Well, I did the animation. Pidge helped me a lot with the projector. I wanted to give you a little piece of your home…or at least a reasonable facsimile. To help make it feel…like it wasn’t so far away, you know? I know it’s not perfect, but-”

      Lance interrupted them by pulling them into a fierce warm hug. “It’s perfect,” he said.

      Krie stroked his hair just like his mother always did. “Someday soon, you’ll have to show me the real thing, yeah?”

      He smiled. “Yeah.”

      For a moment he was quiet, enjoying the familiar feeling of gentle fingers in his hair. Then he frowned suddenly. “Hey, Krie?”

      “Yes?”

      “…you won’t tell the others I was crying, will you?”

      The undine chuckled softly. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”


	5. Heavy is the Head

      Working around insomnia had become part of Shiro’s routine. He expected it by now and had a well-rounded list of self-imposed tasks to chip away at any time he found himself unable to sleep. Long after the other humans and even the Alteans had gone to bed, he was still up and about, checking the Castle’s defenses, training, spending time with his Lion, or one of many various other activities. More often than not, he would end up staying awake far into the night, so he figured he may as well make the best of it.

      One such evening around one in the morning by Earth time, he had just finished a workout and headed to the galley for a glass of water and was surprised to find it occupied. Krie stood at the cooktop, apparently waiting for a pot of water to boil. They glanced up when he entered the room and gave him a friendly smile. “Evening, Shiro! I just put some water on for tea. Would you like some?”

      “Sure, why not?” He shrugged and leaned against the nearest counter. “Couldn’t sleep either, huh?”

      “Undines don’t need much sleep,” they replied. “We get most of our energy from external heat sources.”

      Shiro shook his head with just a hint of envy. “Must be nice.”

      The kettle began to whistle ever so softly, and Krie removed it from the heat before it could become loud enough to wake anyone. The undine continued talking as they prepared two small silver infusers, filling them with a careful blend of dried herbs and flowers. “You said you’re having trouble sleeping? Something on your mind, if I may ask?”

      “No, nothing in particular,” he sighed. “But, at the same time, it’s…kind of a lot.”

      “I would think so,” Krie said carefully, “given everything you’ve been through just in the past few weeks, let alone the past few years.”

      “Well…yeah. It’s not just that, though. I just…can’t relax.” He combed his fingers through his bangs, his brow tightening in frustration.

      Krie nodded understandingly as they set the infusers in two ceramic cups and poured boiling water over them. “Your body doesn’t know it’s allowed to rest.”

      “Exactly.” Shiro’s frown deepened.

      “Well,” said Krie. “my family always said that there wasn’t much a good cup of tea could help with. At the very least, it might help you relax a bit.”

      They sounded so sincere that Shiro couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you, Krie.”

      A few moments of awkward silence followed, then he cleared his throat. “Actually, I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve been doing around here. Everyone has been a little more at ease since you joined us, and it makes all the difference.”

      Krie gave a relieved little smile. “Thank you so much for saying so. I do my best.”

      Shiro nodded. “I know it hasn’t exactly been an easy adjustment for you,” he said gently.

      “The Castle is a far cry from Paracel,” they laughed awkwardly. “Things here a a bit…mechanical and…militant, compared to what I’m used to. But…I do love it here. I…like all of you guys. A lot.”

      They focused on stirring the tea for a moment. “I care about all of you,” they added in a quiet voice.

      “I noticed,” Shiro smiled again. “It’s nice to have someone else looking out for the other paladins.”

      The undine removed the infusers from the mugs and handed him the black one. “My aim is to look out for  _all_ the paladins.”

      “Thank you, but I don’t need -” Shiro began, but Krie raised their eyebrows emphatically, so he just sighed and smiled again. “”Thank you for the tea.”


	6. Frati'k

      “Hey, you guys. Look what I found!”

      Hunk entered the rec room clutching a silver tablet with odd marks on the back. All four of his fellow paladins were present, but only Pidge looked up. “Doesn’t that belong to Krie?” she asked.

      “Yeah, but she left it lying around, so obviously she doesn’t care if we look through it.” Hunk tapped at the screen. “I can’t figure out the password, though.”

      “Give it to me.” Pidge held out her hand.

      “Guys-” Shiro began.

      “Don’t worry,” Hunk interrupted, handing the tablet over to Pidge. “We’re just gonna look at her art.”

      Now he had Lance’s attention as well. “I mean, hey, that’s what art is for, right?”

      “That’s subjective,” said Keith in an affectedly disinterested tone.

      Shiro held up his hands. “I don’t want any part of this,” he said firmly, and left the room.

      “ _That’s_ her password?” Pidge muttered, and then louder, “Ok here we go. Art folder.”

      She activated the tablet’s projector, and Krie’s drawings appeared in hologram form a few inches above the surface. Pidge waved her hand to scroll from image to image as Hunk, Lance, and Keith gathered around. The first dozen or so drawings were sketches of aquatic wildlife, particularly a creature that resembled a dolphin with webbed feet, a long neck, and short, thick fur. Lance frowned. “This is kind of boring. Where’s the drawing of me she did the other day?”

    “These are probably from before Krie left her home planet,” Hunk said. “Just skip these ones. Get to the part where we come in.”

    “Keep your shirts on,” Pidge grumbled.

      Still, she skipped until she reached a human figure. The first was a series of somewhat clumsy studies. The next few images were similar, though the drawings showed a marked increase in comprehension. Then they came upon the first image of one of the team - unsurprisingly, Lance. “I didn’t pose for this,” the subject himself noted.

      Candid sketches of the other paladins followed, as well as Coran and some of the allies they had met recently, interspersed with studies of the castle mice and a good number of sketches of Ulaz. As they continued, however, the drawings began to look less like studies and more like portraits - the subjects were smiling, and were often accompanied by little doodles representing their interests. Finally they reached a series of illustrations: a drawing of Keith in a giant red beanbag chair playing a handheld video game, Hunk wearing a chef’s hat and apron surrounded by cartoon sushi with cute smiling faces, Pidge hugging a reasonable facsimile of a dog with a wrench in his mouth (”It’s not bad considering she didn’t have any idea of what a dog looks like aside from my description,” Pidge said), Lance in a seascape holding a coconut with a straw in it, and finally Shiro wearing a crown of flowers.

      The hologram flickered and disappeared. “That’s the last of them,” Pidge said.

      Keith coughed. “These…aren’t bad.”

      “Is this like…the space fish mom equivalent of a scrapbook?” Lance asked. “Cause that’s, like…really sweet.”

      Hunk sniffled a little bit. “You guys…I think Krie loves us. Like a lot.”

      A very soft sound from behind them caused them all to jump. They whirled around almost in unison to see Krie standing in the door behind them. They looked just as startled as the Paladins were, clutching at their necklace in alarm. “Uh, hi!” they squeaked. “Sorry to interrupt, but, ah, have any of you seen my tablet anywhere?”

      “DOGPILE ON FISH MOM!” Hunk bellowed, and before Krie could react all four paladins pounced on them and wrapped them up in a group hug.

      Keith was the first to step back. “You guys, you’re freaking her out!”

      “I love you all very much but this is making me a little uncomfortable,” Krie said in a very high-pitched voice.

      Hunk gave them one last squeeze before releasing them. “We love you too, fish mom. Sorry for freaking you out.” The next sentence was delivered with the speed of an auctioneer-in-training in the hopes that they wouldn’t understand. “Andalsoforstealingyourtabletandgoingthroughallofyourstuff.”

      Krie blinked. “Pardon?”

      “We found your tablet!” Lance shouted, delivering the object into their hands.

      “Oh! Thank you, love!” the undine exclaimed. “I’m so glad because I wanted to show you guys something. I hope you don’t mind, but I did some illustrations of all of you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading <3 i hope you liked my little bit of self-indulgence, and that you liked Krie!


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